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Steve King's not feeling it with Sarah Palin

Iowa Rep. Steve King, an influential conservative who's not aligned with a candidate but is close with colleague Michele Bachmann, pooh-poohs the idea that Sarah Palin is poised for a late run:

"My sense is that Sarah Palin has been actively staying engaged to keep her name in the mix. I just think she was going to put out a stronger indication by now if she was going to run," said Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) on a Monday phone interview. "I still think Sarah Palin isn't going to enter this race."

Palin would suck the most energy away from Bachmann and would eat significantly into Rick Perry's attention as well. However, King is not alone in speculating that she won't ultimately join the race.

Palin would suck the most energy away from Bachmann and would eat significantly into Rick Perry's attention as well. However, King is not alone in speculating that she won't ultimately join the race.

Not a very astute analysis- Palin has squandered badly whatever credibility she had, which was never much, and would now be facing an incumbent who now has TWO stunning foreign policy victories under his belt. What does Palin bring to the race? Gaudily-painted toenails, like some broken down 42-year old biker tramp.

She won't run, and it's utter nonsense for anyone to think she will. She makes oodles of cash from speaking engagements, book sales, and reality TV appearances. Why take a major salary hit for a short-term public service job? (Particularly since she's 0 for 3 on completion.) Plus all the financial disclosures that would be required since her rise as a media figure would put off any remote interest she may have. Yet thanks to all the breathless speculation, she gets to play the game and soak up the media attention without having to the un-fun tasks like disclose her finances, come up with any actual policies, respond to her critics, or spend buckets of campaign dollars.

She's moved from 'ex-pol' to 'celeb-utante.' She won't run, and those who think she will probably still believe in Santa Claus, too.

I agree with King but for different reasons. Sarah has become a celebrity and celebrities don't make good political candidates, at least not in this political environment. Here's a law of politics that people seldom keep in mind: each president has created his successor. People just naturally vote for someone different than the previous screw-up. Most all presidents have been the opposite of the president who came before him. Obama, whether he knows it or not, is shaping the next president. Obama is seen as an oddball by most of the electorate. He is seen as unique, unusual, and a flash-in-the-pan. Moreover, he has well and truly screwed things up. He has done little of what he promised he would do. He should have got us out of the Middle East and yet he's spending billions of taxpayer dollars pouring gasoline on the flames. Obama spends most of his time on vacation, playing golf, and eating ice cream. We need a real president, not a celebrity. We need a no-non-sense CEO in charge who is gonna crack some heads and kick some butt. Obama is too soft. When he tries to be tough, he merely comes off as being snarky and petulant. Obama does a lot of pouting and lashing out. But he is no leader. He waits until Congress makes a decision then jumps in and starts hollering, "Me! Me! Me! It's all about Me! Look at Me! I made the decision!" When Morgan Freeman tells you that you have to get tough, you know you got a problem.

I'd welcome her into the race, just for the pure entertainment factor. Watching Palin and Bachmann try to give eloquent answers in a debate would be great television. Coupled with the fact the Rick Perry has no filter between his brain and his mouth should make for an interesting Republican primary.

Sarah Palin has yet to prove that she's committed, responsible, and knowledgeable enough to run for a real office. Small town mayor and part time governor in a state that has no real issues and lots of federal money to play with are hardly the kind of experience a true politician needs to be president. She only played at politician and even managed to put the small town in big debt and leave the state a legacy of poorly written laws (her ethics legislation that caught even her) and heavy taxes on the state's only real big business. She has zero experience with foreign policy, has no concept of the word 'diplomacy', and can barely speak English well enough to convey what little ideology she has. She hasn't even been smart enough to surround herself with experienced, knowledgeable people.

She never intended to run, she's having too much fun sneering at the powers that be and gathering rabid following who have very little understanding of recent history. Obama didn't create the mess we're in. His 'vacations' - just like those of any previous president (count how many times Bush II fled to the Ranch) - have been working vacations and I for one will not begrudge any president, no matter which party, whatever peaceable time he can have. They are never truly on vacation, and the demands of the job are more than anyone can grasp. If Sarah Palin can tour the country with her family, "on vacation" in a gaudy bus 100% paid-for by political donations while she vamps for the media and whines about the government spending other people's money, the POTUS can go golfing with other pols and dignitaries. At least he's paying attention to what's going on. Sarah is only concerned with what mean thing someone said about her and making sure everyone knows how much she hates Obama.

What I was trying to say is that celebrities lack the political gravitas to run for national office. Reagan had been governor of CA and had established himself as something of a political heavyweight in Republican circles. He was a serious guy who had once been an actor. He was no longer a Hollywood celebrity when he ran for national office. All the other politicians you mentioned don't count because they ran for local or regional offices, not for president. I can't think of anyone else who was president and a celebrity at the same time. Maybe JFK comes closest but not really. Obama is something of a celebrity in that he spoke to that huge crowd in Germany and received a Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing. That's like giving an actor an Oscar before he's made a single film. Just because you like him, I guess. Obama gets the movie star treatment from the mainstream media so by that definition, he's a celebrity. But celebrities can be shallow and self-centered, which is exactly what Obama is. Obama has no depth. He has no personal history to speak of. He's a mystery man. His American roots are very shallow. He's not "authentically black". He is really not one of us. The next president will probably be way different.